Speedy's Redemption
by schubskie
Summary: Speedy was made a temporary villain. He was saved, but unfortunately his friends Dick and Wally were captured in the process. Sounds about time for a little redemption. Songfic. I'm guilty of using Comic Book science. Finished in early 2011.
1. Chapter 1

"**Beat Drop" by Simon Curtis- probably want to listen to it before you read the fic, but obviously it's not required. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Roy woke with a pounding in his head.

He opened his eyes slowly, groaning softly as his body reacted to his awakening. He observed the all-white room, furnished with a small side table, an outdated television, the bed he was lying on of course, and two simple chairs. Everywhere counters surrounded the furnishings.

Sitting on one of those chairs was Oliver Queen, with his hands clasped and his head bent low.

As if sensing his young ward waking, he looked up with profound interest. "Roy," he greeted warmly, standing, "Welcome back to the living!"

"What is this?" Roy immediately questioned, squinting some more around the room. "Where am I? And this pounding…" he put a hand to his head.

"You don't remember?" Oliver's voice took a subtle reproach as he walked over, arms crossed.

"Remember what?" Roy groaned some as he shifted positions.

Ollie just looked at him for a second, as if trying to decide whether he should go through with what he had planned. Then, he decidedly turned on his heel and took something off the counter behind him.

Roy recognized the object as a videotape when Oliver slipped it into the VCR of the television.

The screen was black. Then, picture burst to life.

* * *

It was an abandoned office building; that much was evident. The black and white screen was unusually clear-showing every leaf of paper, every pencil, desk, chair, and computer all in their rightful organized cubicles. This was all proof that it had been recently left.

And all was quiet.

But suddenly, the audio became loud as the door to the office slammed open. Actually, someone was quite kicked through the door.

It was Robin.

Roy stiffened.

Robin rolled out of the way as a dark shape entered the room. It was taller than the younger boy and seemingly stronger too. An explosion nearly erupted the television's speakers and smoke on the picture was the result.

After it had cleared, Robin was gone.

The shadowy figured stepped in a little further. But despite the video camera's high pixel image, it could not display who the culprit was.

Suddenly though, it shot an arrow up in the air vent. Robin fell down with a sickening thud!

Roy realized at this point that his friend was badly injured and needed help. He looked at Oliver Queen but his mentor just made a signal for him to watch.

Roy snapped back to see Robin struggling to get up on his own two feet.

The figure loomed over.

"Get out of there…" Roy murmured, his eyes darting around the screen.

But suddenly, a whoosh! Went by and Robin was once again, out of sight.

Roy was relieved to realize that either The Flash or Kid Flash had come to save the day, though he still wondered why Ollie was showing him this videotape.

Robin and a now visible KF were hiding behind a desk, in clear sight of the video camera. Their audio was acute.

"Dude what do we do?" KF's voice came through loud and clear. He seemed to be panting.

"I don't know," Robin grimaced, holding his side, the arrow protruding from him. "I've never seen him this way before. He's unstoppable."

Just then a loud bang! Rang out as the figure shot an explosive arrow.

"We can't just stay here we'll get caught," KF kept his voice low. "You stay here and I'll go around behind-"

"Are you crazy?" Robin interrupted but in the same hushed whisper. "You'll be crushed!"

"But we have to do something," KF looked at his injured friend with a frown. "I'll stall as long as I can." He put his running goggles back over his eyes.

Roy watched; his mouth dry with anticipation as Kid sped out around the figure.

It let out a familiar angry yell as he did so.

Roy secretly prayed for his plan to work though little did he know he was on the brink of a stark realization.

The thing suddenly ran at KF with impossible speed, tripping him up. With a grunt it lifted him high over his head and threw him across the room at the video camera.

"Kid!" Robin's voice rang out as KF hit the floor with the camera.

The figure approached closer to the young speedster, becoming more intense and more psycho as ever. But just before the camera shut off it slowly entered into the light. Roy felt his stomach drop.

The thing was him.

* * *

"What does this mean…this can't be right, can it?" Roy demanded as Oliver retrieved the cassette. "Can it?" He repeated with more vigor.

Oliver sighed turning around. "I'm afraid so, Roy. Riddler tricked you. He tricked all of us."

"Riddler?" Roy questioned, "But he's Batman's-"

"You and Wally were caught in the crossfire." Oliver said sternly, taking up a chair.

"Now I want you to listen closely, and listen good; _don't _get involved this time. He took someone like you and made a monster. Whatever it was it's gone now, but the side effects are still in motion."

Roy felt ashamed. "But-"

"There won't be a next time, Roy. That's final. An overdose of that drug would have you dead in minutes." There was a note of despair in the mentor's voice as he spoke the last sentence. He sounded almost desperate.

But Roy suddenly remembered what Robin had said in the video. _"I've never seen him this way before. He's unstoppable."_ Roy remembered the arrow sticking into the youth's side. _His _arrow.

"But I hurt them, Ollie, I have to try," Roy objected motioning toward the TV.

"Roy, you can't do this-"

"This is all my fault!"

"He used you as a _pawn_, Roy. What difference would you make this time?" Oliver stared his apprentice in the eye. Roy was forced to look away.

Ollie used a gentler voice. "Batman and Flash are already on the case. They'll find them."

Roy continued looking away. But he asked, "Were there any hints?"

"Hints?" Oliver questioned.

"Riddles. Were there any riddles," Roy bit bitterly.

Oliver thought for a second. "Yes. There've been two so far." He scratched the stubble on his chin while he tried to recall them. "And not of the usual make." He turned to find Roy's eyes intently following him.

So he began.

"The first was:

_Time to round 'em up. Where we gonna go? _

_The Batman of the Night must be playing it too slow. _

"And on the back," continued Ollie, "Was the word _Let_."

Roy nodded, "Go on."

Oliver seemed a little quizzical of his youth but he continued on anyway.

"The second read:

_Gotta get moving. Told it to you twice, you understand?_

_DJ drop the beat. Tell me Flash, if you can? _

"On the back of that one was the word_ The_."

Roy waited patiently for him to finish. But then realized he already had. "Sounds like he's taunting them more than anything," He commented.

"That's what we originally thought too," Ollie said. "But it seems there's something more to them than meets the eye."

"Do they have any leads?" Roy asked. Right away, he knew he had gone too far.

Oliver stood up and sighed. "Sorry Roy, can't tell you anymore. You're starting to want to know too much."

Roy grew angry, "Too much? Ollie, my _friends_ are in there. The Riddler never drops a false hint."

"Riddle," Oliver corrected.

"Same thing!" Roy growled.

A nurse who was passing by in the hallway stopped and looked in, startled.

"It's alright, everything fine in here," Oliver waved her off.

She was still a little shocked, but continued hesitantly on her way.

"Look, just tell me where they are," Roy kept his voice low this time, immediately drawing Ollie's attention. "Please, Ollie."

Oliver looked back again. He sighed. "Sorry, I just can't do that Roy."

Roy let out an exasperated groan and slammed back against his headboard. The pounding in his head seemed to intensify. But he was too frustrated to notice. He closed his eyes, the already ghostlike images of Kid Flash and Robin burning the back of his eyelids.

And he almost regretted the day he was born.


	2. Chapter 2

_Kid Flash woke with the same grinding feeling in his ribs he felt back at the abandoned office building. All at once, he remembered the battle with Roy. But where was he now? And where was Rob? _

_Small movement caught his ear and he struggled to hear it over the noise in the background. _

_KF twisted his head painfully in the dim light. He found Robin. _

"_Mmm! Mmm-MMM!" He grunted. _

_A cloth was tied over his mouth impairing his speech. His legs and arms were tied back and down with cast iron chains._

_But his muffled cries caught the attention of Boy Wonder. He lifted his head and KF saw a trail of blood leading out of his mouth under his binding. Because of the dark, Kid Flash couldn't be certain of his friend's arrow-wound condition…though he was also bound to a similar object he himself was bound._

_Robin's eyes widened. "Mm-m!" He replied back. _

_KF couldn't make sense of this language. He looked frantically around; trying to break free of his constraints only bringing him more pain in the chest. He squeezed his eyes shut, exhaling ragged breaths out through his nose. _

_Where were they? And what would happen now?_

* * *

Roy woke up feeling as if he'd been gone forever.

He looked over and saw Oliver waiting in the same chair he had before. Déjà vu struck him.

But he noticed Ollie's foot tapping impatiently. "I've been thinking about this Roy…I think you should go." He admitted, looking up.

This caught Roy completely by surprise. He blinked, "Well Ollie I-"

"The nurse said that you're all set to leave," Oliver cut him off, standing up.

Now that he mentioned it, Roy felt a lot better…though he was still confused, "But why? You were against it…" Roy struggled to gain a sense of the amount of time which had passed.

"2 hours."

"Only that long?"

"Roy," Oliver approached, "The Riddler disclosed to us 30 minutes ago that we had approximately 4 hours. By then it will be too late." He dropped his voice, "Now is the time we become desperate."

Roy at last understood. So Oliver was only letting him in because times were desperate. But he took it anyway.

"Right. I'll need-"

"Already got them," Oliver replied back, holding out Roy his Speedy clothes.

Roy quickly began to dress.

"Remember, he'll drop riddles in whatever place the others will be. But don't let them see you, since they don't know I'm letting you do this."

Roy looked up, a realization striking him. "Wait, you're not coming with me?"

Oliver shook his head, "Can't; have to stay back and report to The League."

Roy paused to consider the amount of power Ollie was giving him. But he quickly resumed getting dressed. "Okay," he said, pulling his shirt of his head.

"But if you find anything, contact me or The League right away," Oliver quickly added in.

"Got it," Roy slipped on his quiver and took his bow.

"Oh, and Roy?"

Roy stopped. He was now fully dressed, except for his hat which he held in his hand.

"Be careful." Oliver nodded.

"Thanks. I'll be back before you know it." Roy nodded, just before putting on his cap.

Then he thrust open the window and jumped up on the sill. He looked back. Oliver was still watching.

Speedy gave sort of a half wave and smile, before slipping out.

And Oliver found himself dreading the day he would become his own hero.

* * *

Speedy was very cautious as he rounded the third corner.

So far he had been just walking around in the shadows of the city, suspicious of everything and realizing Ollie had forgotten to tell him where Batman and Flash were.

He came upon an alleyway and suddenly found two men standing just 30 feet away. There was no mistaking it; they were the two guys he'd been looking for.

Remembering what Oliver had said he found shelter behind a dumpster. Batman looked in his direction a moment later.

"…It can't be…populated area…" Speedy caught fragments of Flash's dialogue.

Batman had looked back now and spoke even quieter, "…searched everywhere…we'll find them."

Nothing about those two sentences seemed remotely helpful to Speedy. The two Justice League members seemed just as stumped as he was.

After a few more minutes of quiet conversation, evidently they had decided to part ways. Batman took to the building's rooftop by way of grappling hook.

Speedy squeezed himself into the smallest corner of the alley while Flash ran on by him.

Both had been too preoccupied to even notice his hiding though.

Speedy stood up, suddenly remembering why he was here in the first place.

_Where was the next_ _riddle?_

Maybe they had already gotten it. Or maybe there hadn't been a new one.

Taking a step forward he heard a soft crinkle underfoot. He looked down. Sure enough, a piece of paper was under his boot. Heart pounding, Speedy cast a wary look around him, before kneeling down and picking it up.

He scanned, flipping the small sheet over in one hand several times. The word "Beat" was printed neatly on the back. He quickly flipped it and read the other side.

_O give it to me, Speedy. Cause my trick will pull through._

_If to complete morons continue doing what they do._

_O they don't know how to work it. A maddening shame. _

_It is a good thing I'm winning. But numbers certainly aren't your game._

Speedy stood as he read the small passage and then re-read it once more. Something didn't make sense to him. The earlier riddles, the ones taunting Bats and Flash, had seemed familiar to him in the same way this one did now.

_And what did it mean by "numbers certainly aren't your game," anyway?_

He looked up at the sky. The sun read it was somewhere between three and four. Speedy's stomach growled, and he momentarily felt like eating a cheeseburger. But he ignored it.

There was only 3 hours or less left to solve this case. Or his friends would be history.


	3. Chapter 3

_Robin looked toward his trapped compadre. Kid was breathily heavily. Not good._

_Of course he had no idea where they were either, but wherever it was it seemed mildly damp. And the sound in the background…was that water? He couldn't be certain for sure. _

_He was just worried about Kid. The teenager was abnormally out of breath...which he should never be anyway. Robin judged this to be a lung puncture or other injury to his chest. He looked down at his own blood-soaked and numb self. It didn't hurt anymore. _

_And that's also what scared him._

_Robin looked up once again at his surroundings. It was manmade and the air around him seemed to be slowly heating up. He tried once again to pull something out of his lower pocket-the reason for the corner of his mouth to bleed- and managed to cut himself once more on his own device._

_But he had to get help somehow. _

* * *

Approximately 90 minutes later Speedy was at his wits' end.

He hadn't been able to decipher the code, and couldn't even locate Batman or The Flash again. It was as if the Riddler really was going to win.

Exasperated, he slumped against the brick siding of a storefront. Not many people walked by him in this part of town, but when they did they gave him weird looks. He glared menacingly.

_What, a hero wasn't allowed to be completely at loss?_

No, he knew they really weren't. That's what was bothering him. And this whole thing was his fault.

He took out the sheet of paper again, reading over the clue. What did it mean? And why was it still _so _damn familiar?

He read it again. It was definitely longer than the other two. That much he knew. And it wasn't grammatically correct like the others had been…the Riddler had used the wrong _to_ instead of _two_.

That had been on purpose, right?

He narrowed his eyes.

_O give it to me, Speedy/ O they don't know how to work it._

The "_Os_" were kind of odd too. He read the part about numbers again.

No doubt The Flash and Batman were looking into schools for it. But Speedy didn't think that was right either.

He closed his eyes, meditating on this.

…_give it to me…give it to me…_

Then, partly in his desperation, partly because of the dire situation, a thought bubbled to the surface of his brain. And it said,

_Give it to me baby, what's it gonna be?_

Roy suddenly opened his eyes wide. It was a lyric! That was it!

His heart pounded while he tried in vain to remember what song they were written in.

And miraculously he remembered the one time he'd been at Wally's house. Dick was there too. Wally and Dick had shown him a song. It wasn't popular, but it was new as hell.

Speedy had it.

Right away he pulled out his cell phone pressing speed dial for Ollie.

He waited impatiently for him to pick up, pacing the alley as he did.

"Speedy! Find anything?" G.A.'s voice finally came through.

"Yeah, I need you put me through with Bats and Flash right away," Speedy began to pace faster as he hatched a plan.

"I think I've got it."

* * *

_The air was even warmer now as Kid Flash watched Robin cut his bound mouth once more. _

_This was becoming very painful to watch. _

_Robin paused, mouth bloody. But it was clear that his binding around his mouth was becoming more split as well. Despite the previous failures he tried again. _

_Kid looked away, flinching._

_But this time, Robin had it. _

_The bloodied cloth fell to the floor of their imprisonment along with the razor blade out of his pocket._

_Although Robin didn't seem to mind as he quickly reached into his pocket with his teeth. Out came a small metal device. Maneuvering it around with his tongue, Robin aimed it first at his iron chains, then bit down hard. _

_A small laser shot out, hot enough that it immediately began to melt away the metal._

"_Mmm!" KF exclaimed, roughly imitating the word "dude!". _

_Robin looked up with a wicked smirk before his chains came apart and hit the ground. He landed shortly after them, in a crouch. _

_KF watched as he stood up in shadows, his blood-soaked side now in obvious need of care._

_But his friend just looked up with the same smirk as before, flipping around his small metal device by its key ring. _

"_Need a hand?" _

* * *

Speedy paced the edge of the roof. Batman and Flash were late.

After his call with G.A. Speedy had been able to contact the two supers. He told them a very terse explanation of everything, urging them to come here as quick as they could. Obviously, that was too much to ask.

Speedy checked the time for what seemed like the fourth time before a shadow finally fell over him. He shaded his eyes against the sun to see Batman outlined against the golden disc.

Soon after he landed Flash came racing to his side. "What's going on, Speedy?" He asked frowning.

"Why are you here," Batman was a little less friendly.

"Never mind that for now. Did you bring them?" Speedy almost demanded.

Batman narrowed his eyes. But he withdrew two pieces of paper from his cape and handed them over.

Speedy took them, analyzing the notes for the first time. His heart skipped a beat.

"Hook me up with some Wi-Fi." He said, already fishing the last clue out of his pocket.

He paused when he realized that wasn't being done. He looked up. "Please," he begged.

Batman again begrudgingly followed through with an order.

Meanwhile, Flash frowned, as if seeing something the others didn't.

He raced 30 feet away and picked something up off the ground. He ran back again. The entire event took place within a millisecond. "I think you should have a look at this…" he said to Batman handing him a note.

Speedy looked up.

Batman scanned the note and flipped it over. He stiffened.

Then, turning to Speedy he held it out for him.

"Find them."

Speedy wasn't exactly sure what Batman meant at first but soon understood when he read the last riddle.

_If big mistakes are big failures, this is your greatest ever._

_If you don't find them soon, their lives will soon be severed._

_One more chance; don't take too long._

Speedy flipped it over.

_Because at 6 o'clock sharp, you'll have 'til the end of the song. _

"You know what song he's talking about, right?" Flash asked. He sounded sick with worry and concern.

"Yeah but I have to decode it first to get the location," Speedy looked back down at the riddles, then back up at Batman.

"Ready?"


	4. Chapter 4

_The temperature increased._

_Robin watched as his friend landed a little less gracefully than he had, dropping then stumbling before finally catching his balance once more. _

…_But Robin noticed not his breath. _

"_Finally, I can talk," KF panted however. _

_Robin frowned. "Yeah, but not for long…" he took a few steps to the left, looking around their imprisonment with knowing worry. _

"_What is it?" KF walked over. _

_Robin pressed a button switching on the light on his glove. _

_The two boys were dumbfounded as they stood, just staring at their now illuminated and terrifying environment. _

_After a moment of silence, KF spoke._

"_Can you contact The League with that thing?" he asked, sounding slightly panicked._

"_No," Robin admitted weakly, still staring as well. "Roy destroyed that function." _

_KF continued to gaze in shock. "We're screwed."_

* * *

"Beat Drop. Simon Curtis," Speedy instructed.

Batman typed quickly and produced the YouTube page. The song began to play.

"How will this give us their location again?" Flash asked.

"Simon counts in the song; 1-5 throughout the entire succession," Speedy was no talk and all business now. "Riddler uses this song in his riddles, watch."

He paused, letting the song play.

"_Tell the DJ drop the beat  
don't play some motherf***' band_"

It sang.

"See? That one was from this riddle." Speedy held up the second slip of paper:

…_DJ drop the beat. Tell me Flash, if you can? _

"When does the counting come in," Batman said.

"The counting," Speedy looks up, "Is every chorus line. Simon tells us each time he sings that he's "telling us" once, twice, three times, etc."

"Oh so I get it. So he counts in his riddles too," Flash said.

"Exactly. But that's when it gets tough," Speedy admitted. He pored over the notes. "But I_ think_ he counts every letter in. Watch."

Speedy took the first riddle and showed it to them.

_Time to round 'em up. Where we gonna go? _

_The Batman of the Night must be playing it too slow. _

"The first letter is 'T'. In the next sentence the second letter is 'h'. In the third, we have 'e'. So the word is 'The'."

Speedy knew he sounded like an idiot when his almighty plan spelled out only 'The'. But this had to be it. They couldn't- _he_ couldn't- afford for it to be otherwise.

"Okay, so let me see," Flash picked up the next note as the song in the background ended.

"Here it would be a 'G' for the first letter in, 'o' for the second one, 'd' for the third, and 'l' for the last."

He frowned. "But that doesn't spell anything. "

Speedy's heart began to race again. "I don't know why…" he stammered "It should have been there-"

"It doesn't start over." Batman interrupted.

Both looked over.

"It continues from the countdown; 1 through 5."

Flash looked at it again. "Oh! Okay I get it…" he paused, "So it spells 'Tide'." He looked up again with a frown, but for a different reason.

"Let's decode the rest," Speedy said quickly, already picking up the third.

* * *

_Sweat beaded on Kid's face as he looked toward his friend. _

_Robin was also sweating from the immense heat, for whatever they were in it was heating up fast. He typed rapidly on his glove. _

"_There's got to be a way out of here." He said. "Maybe if I could just get the door open…" _

"_Dude, there isn't a door," Kid said. "There isn't even a way out!" he gestured all around him._

"_Well he got us in here somehow…" Robin protested, continuing to work._

_Suddenly a loud sound rumbled throughout the chamber and both boys looked up. _

_Another loud sound echoed throughout and this time they watched as the wall on the far right slowly began to separate into a 2 inch wide crack. Water began to filter through._

"_It's starting!" Robin announced, as Kid Flash ran over. _

_Kid attempted to cover the water with his back, but it was apparent he couldn't get ALL of it. _

"_I change my mind Rob. You find a way out of here and I'll hold this thing off as long as I can."_

* * *

Batman analyzed the decoded message, "The tiDe is CominG in."

Flash looked up, "'The tide is coming in'? Then they have to be down by the pier, right?" He sounded rushed.

"No, that would be too public," Batman cut his answer down. His face was solemn, serious, and relentlessly thinking.

Speedy remembered their earlier conversation he had eavesdropped on where Flash had talked about ruling out public places.

He looked up, "Where do you think they are then?"

Just then, a nearby clock struck 6.

Batman looked up, "We don't have much time."

Without warning he disappeared off the side of the building. Speedy followed and found him already waiting in the bat mobile behind the back alley.

He jumped in as Batman hit the gas.

Flash took off after.


	5. Chapter 5

_Back in the chamber, there was now five inches of water on the floor. _

_And worse yet, the crack KF was covering had grown wider. _

_Robin tried another gadget from his glove against the wall. He watched as it bounced harmlessly, then exploded leaving nothing more than a mild dent._

"_What is this, Carbon Steel?" He exclaimed. _

"_Dude, don't know what that means!" KF exclaimed through clenched teeth. His back hurt from the increasing pressure of the water._

"_It's the strongest manmade metal on Earth!" Robin cried, quickly trying out another._

"_Oh come ON!" KF cried out._

* * *

Speedy held on tight as Batman made yet another sharp turn. The daring twists, suicidal turns and heart wrenching speeds made it seem to him as if The Bat was trying to get him killed.

How Robin been able to cope with this for years was suddenly a mystery to Speedy. The guy was an absolute maniac.

Throughout this perilous journey the song "Beat Drop" played loud enough for Flash to hear from his position running outside.

"_Now let it in your body  
and the party won't stop  
'cause it's seven kinds of naughty…_"

What was this, the first chorus?

Questions suddenly raced through Speedy's mind, even faster than the car he was riding in. Why hadn't he been able to figure out the code sooner? Would they make it there in time?

Did Batman even _know _where he was going?

* * *

_Water came up to Robin's knees. KF was struggling to stand in it as the gap in the door widened more._

"_This isn't looking good!" Robin panicked._

"_You think?" KF grunted. His chest heaved with the effort and he found himself slipping. "I can't hold onto this much longer."_

_Robin turned back around, all worry and no games. "Come on, come on…" he practically begged, his fingers flying over his glove as he tried to get some kind of communications going with The League or Batman. _

_Just then, another loud sound clattered throughout and Robin looked up to find the two large blades in the back roar to life._

_His eyes widened. He knew they were for filtering all this water that lay in here._

_Only they would do that AFTER the chamber was completely filled. _

* * *

Speedy reluctantly glanced at the time remaining in the song.

1 minute, 11 seconds.

He tried to calm his nerves. He tried to take deep breaths.

When Speedy wasn't looking, Batman stole a glance at him. He looked back on the road and put his pedal to the metal.

* * *

"_I can't get The Justice League," Robin's voice broke, the signal of their defeat._

_The water was now up to his hips, and was almost to KF's. _

_KF finally let go of the wall. More water gushed through as he rammed himself against a different wall, and then ran to another doing the same. He began to race around doing this. _

"_KF!" Robin called. _

_But in his stubborn pigheadedness, his friend continued racing about in tangible desperation. He ran to another and threw his body into it. _

"_Kid!" Robin cried._

_KF hit himself against another wall, getting increasingly winded as his breath became now more labored._

_Robin grew pale, "Wally!" _

_He half-ran half-swam to the center of the chamber and waited for his friend to flash on by again. When he did, he grabbed his arm. _

_Stopped, KF couldn't even gather the strength to complain since he was panting so much. _

_Robin looked up at him, evenly in the eye. "It's hopeless," he said._

_KF shook himself free but fell in the water, back against one of his dented walls and legs completely submerged._

_Robin watched his friend's disappointment and felt a sudden bitter hatred for The Riddler. Wally shouldn't have been a part of this. He only came to help him when Roy had attacked._

_But now they were both going to pay the price._

* * *

26 seconds left.

Flash looked in as the song sang "_I told you four times…I said why don't you understand_?"

But Batman suddenly turned again and came to a screeching halt at the edge of an abandoned beach. It was dark and littered with trash.

Speedy got out after him and all three ran along the rim of it.

* * *

_The water was up to KF's neck. He looked over though as his friend, who was shorter, was struggling to keep his chin up. _

_Robin and KF were now floating in the water. There was just inches of air left for them to breathe._

_But both were strangely calm as they quietly treaded water. _

"_Hey Rob?" KF turned to look at him awkwardly. _

"_Yeah?" Robin struggled to look over too. It was harder for him since he was shorter. _

"_I think we're going to," he paused since his breathing was getting really bad now, "Make it out of this…"_

_Robin frowned, "You think?" But not because of what KF had said. He was in so much pain now though that it didn't even matter._

"_Yeah," Kid panted, "I think we are…" His eyes started to close and his arms and legs began to stop going as fast._

"_Wally!" Robin cried, "Wally, stay with me now!" Kid opened his eyes again and shook his head feebly, as if to clear it. But his breath was still ragged. _

"_How you holdin' up?" He managed. _

_Robin winced but tried to hide it under the water, "Been better."_

_He looked back over. _

"_Don't worry…don't worry dude," KF reassured growing weak again. "They'll find us. Uncle Barry and Bruce and maybe even Roy…they'll find us. They'll save us for sure."_


	6. Chapter 6

After a few seconds, Speedy saw what they were running toward. It was a figure; tall, green, and holding a cane.

Anger seethed inside him as he realized who it was. The Riddler. The man who started all of this. The man who had made him a monster and hurt his friends; the man who now held those same friends' lives in jeopardy.

For a moment Speedy forgot all about the situation, who he was with, and that he had any part in it to begin with. It was just him and Riddler. And his anger soared as he picked up the pace.

"Speedy," Batman's commanding voice seemed distant as the youth charged forward. In his gusto, he even passed the venerable Flash for a moment. His fists clenched as he ran with more speed and aggression than ever before.

But of course that still wasn't enough to pass Flash for _more than_ a moment. Soon after he had passed both Batman and Flash, Flash caught up to the youth. "Hey slow down," he said stopping him.

"Oh yes, do slow down," came a chilling voice.

Both looked up to see that The Riddler had met them halfway. He smiled before continuing on, "But riddle me this, what has two dead bodies in a room full of water?"

"Why you…" Speedy growled, lunging forward.

Flash held him back until Batman arrived moments later.

"They're at the abandoned tide containment. Hurry!" He urged the two as he took up a battle stance.

Flash immediately took off.

Speedy looked back then at Batman and The Riddler for a second, lingering between the two.

The Riddler smiled, flipping around his cane, "Staying for the fight, young lad?"

Batman looked back. "Go!"

Speedy hesitated, and then turned to run. But while Batman's back was turned and while Speedy was turning, The Riddler pressed a button on his cane and projected a small but tainted blade.

It flew with deft accuracy and landed into the soft flesh of Speedy's left shoulder.

Batman watched as the youth fell in agony.

"Riddler!" He growled, whipping around menacingly.

"Riddle me this!" The crazed man cried with glee, "Who had such an exquisite taste in music?" He laughed, looking past Batman to the suffering Speedy on the ground. "Nothing personal boy, I just need you out of the way for future exploits."

Speedy got on his hands and knees, and then slowly on one knee as he stood.

Riddler watched him with amused interest but it was clear Batman was done with messing around.

He closed the distance between him and Riddler with a few steps before landing a punch square in the jaw.

While they fought, Speedy reached around his shoulder with his right hand and pulled loose the blade with a grunt. He looked at it, a memory suddenly triggering that he had seen the excess green chemical on the exterior of the weapon.

It was the same compound he'd been injected with that morning.

* * *

Meanwhile, Flash's feet flew over the sand at a ridiculous speed. He came up fast on the old hydroelectric center, all the while thinking he had been so blind as to not think of it sooner.

It was the perfect place. No one visited except on weekends, and those that did were officials making sure no one had broken in and vandalized anything.

Parts of the machinery did still work however, but only the parts that were powered by water. As the tide came in it triggered the fans, but the turbines themselves would not allow water to create electricity since they were all broken. As the tide went out again, so did the water inside though not until after a good 5 minutes.

And in one of those containments were the two boys.

Flash came to them just a heartbeat later and saw three lined up along the shore. The tide had come in already, which left no time to check each one.

Flash wasted a precious second trying to decide which The Riddler would use. Then it occurred to him he would use the last, since it was the furthest away and at some distance.

This was no problem for the Flash of course, and he was there just a millisecond later.

He hoped that he was right as he gathered breath and dove in.

* * *

Batman threw three batarangs and all hit the sand bank behind The Riddler.

"Missed!" Riddler cried with glee, in turn throwing three blades.

All three missed his opponent. Batman masked his own face and threw down a device which erupted into smoke.

Riddler looked around and then scrambled up the bank behind him coughing.

Out of nowhere, Batman landed a kick to the side of his head.

He tumbled down, landing in the clearing fog.

Batman leaned down and pulled him up by his collar.

Riddler smiled. "You'll be too late." He looked off toward the containments.

Batman punched him.

* * *

Flash swam through the murk, squinting against the saline water.

It was dark, and almost motionless, though the tide came in slowly and carefully before edging its way back out.

In this, he came upon two objects. Without a doubt, they were _them_.

Quickly, he was able to grab both waterlogged youth and swim desperately back to the surface. When his head broke, Speedy was there on the surface ready to help him out.

"Hand me Robin," He said, wading in.

Without hesitation Flash did so and brought Kid Flash to dry land. He was too intent on his work to notice or even know what Riddler had done to Speedy.

Speedy meanwhile laid Boy Wonder down gently and checked his vitals. No breathing; but a small heartbeat.

"Still alive," he called over his injured shoulder to Flash without looking back.

Ignoring all wounds from himself and his friend, he began to resuscitate. "Come on….come on…" he muttered under his breath in between tries.

It took a bit, but seconds later Robin's chest and face sprang to life, coughing and heaving water.

Speedy heard the same from behind and turned seeing KF was doing the same. He looked back.

Neither was opening their eyes yet, but they were both still alive.

_Thank God._

Robin opened his eyes then, looking up. "Hey R-Speedy," he caught himself.

Speedy smirked, "Hey D-Robin."

Robin smiled faintly. He looked up with sudden concern.

"Rob?" KF's voice came back as the other friend thought of the same thing at the same moment.

Robin looked relieved and he struggled to sit up.

Kid Flash did too, so now Flash and Speedy were crouching while the other two sat.

"We made it," Kid laughed painfully.

"Yeah," Robin said. He looked at Speedy. "Sooo…you're okay now?"

Speedy was rubbing his shoulder though. He barely noticed the younger boy's question. Everything began to turn fuzzy…

"Speedy?" Someone asked. Roy couldn't tell if Robin had asked this. It sounded so distant. It didn't sound like a voice at all. Not even like a sound.

He felt himself fall.

"Roy!" Someone else called out.

But then he blacked.


	7. Chapter 7

Roy woke with a pounding in his head. But it was worse than before.

There were murmurings all around.

"Shh, shh, he's waking up," someone said, louder than the rest.

Roy moaned softly before summoning the effort to open his eyes. The haziness was there, but somewhat clearer. He could see his surroundings.

Déjà vu again. He was in a hospital room.

Standing in the corner though was Bruce Wayne, to his right Oliver Queen. Bartholomew Allen stood closer to him, though Roy saw through half-cracked eyes this was because Wally and Dick were both to his right in their own beds.

Roy closed his eyes again and muttered another moan.

"He's going to be okay right?" Wally asked anxiously.

"Yes, the doctor said he'd be having some migraines though," Oliver's voice reassured; though it was edged with concern.

Even though all this was true, and Roy also felt very nauseous, he couldn't excuse the thought Bruce was listening in on this conversation. If he let this slide, everyone would always see him as a child forever; a sidekick.

"Don't patronize me," he muttered.

Everyone looked over.

"Roy!" Dick said.

"You're awake," Ollie's voice came through relieved.

"Yep," He grunted, pushing himself up. Their voices were getting all mixed up again. It was a pain just trying to keep them separated.

"You should rest," Bruce's gravelly sound was easy to pick out.

"Don't need to," Roy refuted.

Bruce said nothing in return. Roy took this as a triumph.

"Right," Bart clapped his hands together. "I'm going to go grab some lunch, anyone else want anything?"

"Burgers!" Wally blurted out, leaning forward. He winced and put a hand to his chest.

"Okay calm down." Bart said smirking, "I'll go to _Five Guys_. Anyone else?"

Roy remembered his earlier craving for burgers. But he felt too nauseous and out of it right now to eat any.

He frowned slightly.

"Get two more. For Roy and me." Dick looked to his friend and gave a slight smirk.

Roy smirked a little back.

"Be right back," Bart waved before walking out.

Bruce stood up. "I have to go as well. Dick-"

"It's fine Bruce," the youngest boy reassured.

Bruce nodded in his direction with a small smile before following Bart out.

Oliver turned to leave but then looked back. He walked directly to Roy and gave him a warm hug.

At first Roy was surprised and afraid of looking unmanly. But after a moment he realized how much this meant to Ollie, and how much this meant to him. He hugged him back.

At length Oliver let go and gave him a nod before following the other two men out.

The door closed softly.

After a little bit Roy gathered the nerve to look at his friends.

But they didn't seem to laugh at him for hugging his mentor and they didn't tease him at all. Instead, all he saw was gratitude in their eyes.

He smirked faintly.

"Thanks for showing me that song that day."


End file.
